Unbelievable: Now a Multiplex Theater is Planned for the Historic Presidio!

First, the developer for a 80,ooo square foot 100 room luxury hotel right in the center of the Old Main Post was selected. A few months later, the Presidio Trust welcomed a proposal for a glass and white stone huge contemporary art museum to be built next to the flagpole. Historical groups and regulators point out that such glaringly inappropriate and large new construction in the area would destroy the integrity of the National Historic Landmark: such construction can't happen there.

 Now, a new building is being planned. It is an addition to the Old Post Theater on Moraga Avenue located right across Montgomery Avenue where the big art museum is to be. The addition is a modern movie mall sort of structure that is larger than the historic old theater building itself.  The management of the Trust has shown either arrogant disregard for historic preservation principles, or the Trust Board has its head in the sand and does not want to recognize that there are real limits from public opinion and  historic preservation standards that prevent massive inappropriate new construction in a National Historic Landmark. What the Trust wants to do is build 200,000 square feet - MORE THAN THREE FOOTBALL FIELDS - of modern looking new structures within a few hundred yards of the 1776 Spanish Presidio the  and even closer to the flagpole.

BUT YOU, THE PUBLIC DOES NOT WANT BIG BUILDINGS IN THE CENTER OF THE PRESIDIO. ONLY 10 PERCENT OF THE 300 LETTERS RECEIVED BY THE TRUST SUPPORTED THE IDEA OF A HUGE ART MUSEUM IN THE HISTORIC MAIN POST.

What can we do to stop this madness that will ruin the Presidio and maybe even cause it to be removed from the list on National Historic Landmarks? E-mail Nancy Pelosi with  your thoughts to:  sf.nancy@mail.house.gov and copy the Trust at Mainpost@Presidiotrust.gov. 

Your actions will bring sanity to this crazy situation.